Highway flare



May 4, 1937- `.1. H. HoRsLx-:Y 2,079,170

HIGHWAY FLARE May 4, 1937. J. H. Hol-@LEY 2,079,170

, HIGHWAY FLARE Filed Feb. 1o, 1936 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented May `4, 1937 'imam UNITED :STATES PATENT OFFICE Y 2.019.170

- HIGHWAY FLARE lJames, H. Horsley, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Shanklin Manufacturing Company, Ghicago,I Ill., a corporation of Illinois f Application February 1o, issalserialno. 63,101 4 claims. e, (crei-55) The present invention is directed. to portable flares of the liquid fuel burning type adapted for use on vehicle highways and railroad right of ,1 ways as a caution to or as a warning for operators t g of approachingvehiclesof impending danger.

. A primary object of my invention resides in the provision of certain `novel constructional features wherein a plurality of flares may be superimposed in nested stack formation andmountng them on 1o a suitable support for carrying on a. truck, bus

or other vehicle, for convenient use when occasion necessitates. A

Another object is to provide each of a group of nested ares with an individual closure adapted ldfor encompassing the burner, for extinguishing the amefpreventing escape of fumes, andl to preventvaporlzation and leakage of the liquid` fuel when the iiare is not in use.

A further object of this inventionresides in the zo provision of novel means for yieldingly securing a plurality of superimposed nested flares together as a. unit, for convenience in placing them in or removing them from al suitable support on a vehicle and serving as a handle for carrying the 25 entire group of flares.

c With the foregoing and other objects in view' which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of so parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that variouschanges in the form, proportion, size and minor details of the structure 85 maybe made withoutdeparting from the `spirit or sacriiicing any ofthe advantages of the invention. i

For the purpose offacilitating an understanding of my invention, I `have illustrated in the accompanying drawings, a preferred embodiment thereof, from an inspection of which when `considered in connection with the following description,l my invention, its mode of construction, as-

45 sembly and operation. and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

` `Referring to thedrawings in whiehthe same characters of reference are employed to indicate `corresponding or similar parts throughout the 50 `several iigurs of the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of al plurality 1 of nested flares mounted on a support constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the entire unit with parts broken away to `illustrate `details of con- `trafiic on highways, particularly adjacent large metropolitan areas, the stoppage of large .ve-

hicles, such as trains, busses, and trucks, on or near the highway at night is a. serious menace l5 to operators of other vehicles traveling along the highway.. If operators of such stopped vehicles would place suitable portable flares on the highway adjacent the stopped vehicle, many accidents could be avoided. The present invention con- 20 templates the provision oi a. novel arrangement oi a plurality of nested flares which maybe suitably carried on the vehicle and which may be conveniently brought into use when occasion arises. 25

The ares embodying the present invention are of the liquid fuel burning type, and each includes a container bodyA 5,`herein shown as of cylindrical form, lhaving its top w'all formed with a neck dening a mouth in which is threadedly connected 30 or otherwise secured thereto the shank of a burner 6 having a cylindrical base 'i seated against the top Wall of the container. The burner is provided with aA wick -8 extending into the liquid fuel in said container body for supplying fuel to 35 the burner in a manner well understood in the art.

When the flare is not in use, -a cup shaped closure cap I0 is mounted over the burner and detachably secured thereto by engagement of a cam slot Il adjacent'its bottom, with a co-operative 40 projection l* on the base of the burner, as may be seen in Fig. 5 of the drawings. This cap may be employed toextinguish the flare, to ensure sealing of the fumes therein. and to prevent vaporization and leakage of the liquid fuel. The

'lower edge of the cap, when in assembled position stack of three nested ilarel, but it will be manifest that the stack may be composed oi any desired number of units. The bottom wall of each con-` tainer body l is formed to provide a centrally located re-entrant cavity llfdimensioned to receive therein the burner I and closure cap Il of the next lower ilare o! the stack with the bottom wall supported directly upon the top wall of said next lower nare. This arrangement centralizes the units and maintains them in aligned stack formation. and contact between the top and bottom walls serve as a further seal. A

The uppermost ilare is provided with an auxiliary protector cap II having a cup-shaped por? tion Iln encompassing the burner closure cap III and having an annular iiange lib with a resilient gasket I8 interposed between said ilare and the top wall of the container body 8. All of the ilare units are resillently connected together as a unit by means including a pair oi. upwardly extending side members I8, slotted at Ill at their lower ends for detachable securement to hook members I8 carried on the side wall of the body 5 of the lowermost ilare, a bail member 20 positioned above the uppermost iiare and having oiset shoulders 20m seated on top and engaging opposite sides oi' the annular ilangel i5b ofthe protecting cap. The

terminal portions of said bail are connected bycoil springs 22 to the upper ends of the side members I8. When it is desired to connect the group of nest ilares together, the bail 20 is seated, as seen in Fig. 2, and the side members I8 drawn downwardly, tensioning springs 22 and secured on the hook members I8. The upper portion of the bail is of inverted U-shape formation and serves as a handle for lifting and conveniently carrying the entire group oi flares. The lowermost portion of each of the side members I8 is bent substantially at right angles as shown in Fig. 2, to provide a suitable nger engaging portion I9, and which may be pressed upon by the operator to cause a disengagement of the hook member I9 from the slot l 8*.

The assembled group of nested superimposed ares may be mounted on a suitable supporting bracket, as indicated at 25, located at any convenient place on the vehicle, such as the driver's cab of a bus or truck. The bracket includes an upright member 28 which may be secured as by screws 21 to a vertical surface and rigidly connected to the lower portion of said member 28 is a circular anged foot 28 on which the nested flares are supported. Connected to the upper end of said member 26 is a horizontally extending resilient iinger 30 adapted to be engaged by the top of the bail when the group of flares are mounted on the support for yieldingly maintaining them in position. Said resilient ilnger 20 and aligned portion oi' the bail are provided with resistering apertures 30* and 20h, respectively, for receiving the shackle oi.' a padlock to prevent tampering and unauthorized removal of the flares from the support.

It is believed that my invention, its mode of construction and assembly, and many of its advantages should be readily understood from the foregoing without further description, and it should a'lso be manifest that while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described for illustrative purposes, the structural details are nevertheless capable oi' wide variation within the purview of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent o! the United States is:

1. A plurality of superimposed i'iares, each including a container body having an upwardly .proiecting wick carrying burner, and a closure cap detachably connected to the burner and engaging the top of the container body for sealing the burner from atmosphere. predetermined container bodies each having their bottoms formed with a re-entrant cavity for receiving the burner and cap of the next lower nare, whereby said flares may be nestedl in a stack, with the burner and enclosing cap oi each lower flare projecting into the cavity of the body of the next upper ilare, and yieldable means for maintaining said flares in nested relation, said yieldable means comprising a pair oi' hangers, having iinger engaging portions formed at their lower edges, and means coacting with the lowermost container body for detachably holding the ilares in nested position, and a bail extending over and engaging the body oi the uppermost ilare, having its lowermost portions secured to the upper portions oi said hangers by coil springs.

2. A plurality of superimposed iiares, each including a container body having an upwardly projecting wick carrying burner and a closure cap detachably connected to the burner and engaging the top of the container body for sealing the burner from atmosphere, predetermined container bodies each having their bottoms formed with a re-entrant cavity for receiving the burner and cap of the next lower are, whereby said ares may be nested in a stack with the burner and enclosing cap oi. each lower nare projecting into the cavity oi' the body of the next upper ilare, and means ior securing said flares together as a unit in nested relation, said means including a pair of upwardly extending side members detachably connected to the body oi the lowermost ilare, a bail extending over and engaging the body of the uppermost flare, and coil springs connecting the ends of said bail to said side members, said side members having .their lowermost portions bent substantially at right angles to form finger engaging pieces for facilitating in the disassembly of the iiares.

3. A plurality of superimposed flares, each including a container body having an upwardly projecting wick carrying burner, and a closure cap detachably connected to the burner and engaging the top of the container body i'or sealing the burner from atmosphere, predetermined container bodies each having their bottoms formed with a re-entrant cavity ior receiving the burner and cap of the next lower flare, whereby said flares may be nested in a stack with the burner and enclosing cap oi' each lower are projecting into the cavity of the body of the next upper are, means for securing said flares together as a unit in nested relation, said means including a pair of upwardly extending side members detachably connected to the body of the lowermost ilare and having their lowermost portions bent substantially at right angles to form linger engaging pieces, a bail extending over and engaging the body of the uppermost are, and coil springs connecting the ends of said bail to said side members, and a support for said nested stack of ilares, including a resilient finger adjacent its upper end positioned to be tensioned by engagement with said bail, when the assembled unit of ilares is mounted on the support to yieldingly maintain them in position thereon.

4. A plurality of superimposed ares, each including a container body having an upwardly projecting wick carrying burner, and a closure cap detachably connected to the burner and engaging the top of the container body for sealing the burner from atmosphere, predetermined container bodies each having their bottoms formed with a re-entrant cavity for receiving the burner and cap of the next lower flare, whereby said flares may be nested in a stack with the burner and enclosing cap of each lower are projecting into the cavity of the body of the next upper are, a protecting member for the uppermost iiare including a cup-shaped portion enclosing the cap of said flare and having a transverse flange seated on the body of said upper flare, and means for securing said flares together as a unit in nested relation, said means including a pair of upwardly extending side members detachabiy connected to the body of the lower flare and having their lowermost portions bent substantially at right angles to form suitable nger engaging pieces, a bail extending over the body of the uppermost flare and having oset portions seating upon the flange of the protecting member, and coil springs connecting the ends of said bail to said side members to yieldably maintain the said flares in nested position.

JAMES H. HORSLEY. 

